Envelope



g- 5, 1930- a. HlLBERT 1,772,312

ENVELOPE Filed Feb. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gme n'toz 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 ENVELOPE W. B. HILBERT Filed Feb. 16,1929

m n M Patented Aug. 5, 1930 warren STATES PATENT oFFicEy wILnIAM IB. IIILBnnnoF WAU'KEGAN, ILLINOIS ENVELOPE Application .iiledlebruary16,1929. Serial No. 340,539.

' or closing the envelope.

. A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide an envelope having a sealing flap formed with a'tongue whichis insertable into the envelope and is held by a gripping device torpreventing the opening of the envelope without destroying the sealing tongue.

Otherobj ects and advantages of the invention willbe] the following description. 7 I. V

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the envelope container embodying this invention and illustrated with the various end and side-flaps positioned in readiness to receive a letter, or the like; I

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sheet carrying a fastening device;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the envelope entirely closed and sealed;

Figure & is a longitudinal sectional view of the envelope and taken upon line 4.& of Figure 3 Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken upon line 5'-5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 6 designates the body portion of the container and this body portion may be either square or rec- 4 tangular. In the present embodiment of the invention, said body portion is illustrated as being of rectangular formation. The ends 7 of the body portion 6 have formed integral therewith, or suitably connected thereto, end flaps 8 and 9 which are foldable upon lines of connection with the body portion to permit the flaps to overlie the body portion and partly overlap each other. The side edgelO of the body portion6 has secured thereto, a

I side flap 11, which is foldable uponthe line apparent during the course of of connection between the flap and the body port-ion so that the side flap may overlie and partially overlap the end flaps 8 and 9 when the latter are folded over the body portion. Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive illustrate the manner in which thevariousflaps are foldable to overlie the body portion and to form a container with one side edge open. The various flaps 8, 9 and 11' are formed with slits 12, 13,

and 1 1 respectively which register one with theother when the flaps are folded down upon the body portion. ;The slit14 preferably is narrower than the slits 12 and 13 and the reason for this will be explainedat a j later point. I

The edge 15 of the body portion 6 has suitably secured thereto a sealing flap16 having suitably'connected to its free edge an e1ongated sealing tongue 17. In closing the entrance to the envelope, the sealing flap 16 is folded over the previously folded fiaps8, 9

and 11 and the'tongue 17 is inserted through the slit 1 1 and then through the slits 12 and 13 so that the said tongue then will be housed withinthe envelope and its extremity 1'7 will closely approach the side 10 of the body portion. The slit:14 has been made of suiiicient width'to just receive the sealing tongue 17. In View of the fact that the slits 12 and 13 are concealed beneath the flap 11, these slits 12 and 13 must be made of suflicient widthto enable the tongue 17 to readily pass through the sameand to have free movement within the slits 12 and 13 so that the tongue-will automatically move transversely of the interior of the envelope when it is fed through the various slits. Fig. 5 discloses the manner in which the tongue is permitted to move relative to the longitudinal edges of the slits 12 and 13 when the tongue is inserted into the envelope,

Fig. 2 discloses a sheet 18 which may be the letter or it may be a specially prepared sheet. This element18 is out along the inwardly converging'lines 19 to form a fold-1 able reinforcing piece 20. A metallic fastenin device designated in. its entirety'by the re erence character 21 is fastened to the sheet 18 in the manner best illustrated in liigsv 2 and 5. Thus fastening dense includes a having an inwardly ybent .end 25 which ;is.

preferably sharpened at its extremity. When the sheet 18 is positioned within the envelope,

the longitudinally extending portion 24 is angularly arranged with respect to the main portion 22 so that the extremity 17 of the sealing tongue 17 may pass into the space between the sharpened end portion 5250f the fastening device and the exposed ,face of the reinforcing piece 20. After the sealing tongue has been inserted into'the envelope and the vextremity 17 a has been positioned in the manner just described, pressure upon the outside of the envelope directly over the longitudinally extending portion 24' of the fastening device will cause this portion to be bent do.w;nw ardly toward the main part 22 to causethe sharpened end 25 to pierce the sealing tonguel? whereby this tongue Will be gripped and positively lockedagainst Withdrawal from the envelope.

It is to be :understood that when a person desires. to,-open the envelope, the sealing tongue 17 may be severed at a pointbetween its connection with the sealing ,flap 16 and the Slit 14 orthe tongue may-be pulled out to cause it to tear loose from the fastening device 21 or to cause the fastening device to pull free from thesheet 18. It further is to be understood that an adhesive maybe applied to desired portions of the flaps .8, 9, 11 and 16 for interconnecting these flaps independently of the tongue 17 if the manufacturer so desires.

ltis noted that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to'be taken asapreferred example of the same, and that portion, end and side flaps carried by the body portion, said flaps having slits which register when the flaps are folded over the body portion, a sheet having a reinforcing engage and ibeheldjbythe device when the latter is bent to grip the tongue.

3; A paper container including a body portion, end and side flaps carried by the body portion and having registering slots when the flaps are folded over the body portion, a separate letter sheet to be housed within the. container between the body portion and the folded fiaps, said sheet having .a reinforcing piece partly cut from'one edge and folded back over the body of the sheet toleave a notch in said edge, an angular fastening device having one part thereof passing through the sheet at the edge of said reinforcing piece and bent to pierce the piece for anchorage thereto, the second part of saiddevi'ce passing-around {the sheet through the notch and having a sharpened extremity, and .a closing flap having a sealing tongue insertable through said slits to be pierced by the sharpened extremity of said fastening device iw-hen the second part of the device is 'ibentinto engagement-With the sealing tongue..

' In testimony whereof I aff x my signature.

WILLIAM B. HILBERT.

various changes in the shape, size, and arrangeinent of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invent ipn or the scope of the subjoined claims. "Having thus described the invention, I c aim;

1.. A paper container including a body portion, end and side flaps carried by the p body portion, said flaps having slits which register when the flaps are folded over the body-portion, a-separate sheet having a, reinforced edge with a fastening {device secured V to the reiQ-fOrQed edge housed between the body portion and the folded ,fiaps, and a closing flap havinga sealing tongue insertabl through jisaid sl ts toengage rand be h ld t s theta-sterling desi c- 21A Re pe o ainer..in luding a. body 

